Work group flags sprinkler rules as a barrier to family child care expansion

Chair (speaker 1) recapped that the sprinkler requirement in county law for family child care homes serving 9–12 children was raised in the first meeting and again flagged as a potential financial obstacle. The work group asked staff to examine whether the county has authority to modify the requirement, establish alternative compliance pathways that maintain life‑safety protections, or identify supports for providers who need to meet sprinkler standards.

Committee members emphasized that if county code cannot be modified, the group should consider what financial or technical assistance could be provided so providers are not priced out of expanding capacity. The discussion positioned the sprinkler requirement as an example of where local code, state licensing and funding interact and where the navigator and other county staff could help identify solutions.